Knitting-machine.



E. A. HIRNBR.

KNITTING MAGHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 1330.12, 1908.

' 1,023,312, Patented Ap1r.16,1912

WITNESSES: ENVENTQHI Y fimaflwmaffi @Mipg z E. A. HIRNBR. KNITTINGMACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEG.12, was,

Patented Apr. 16, 1912 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2 I HIIIII 1n lNVENT ORIEMILJHIRJXEIZ E, A. HIRNER, KNITTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILEDDEG.12,1908.

Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

FIQ M:

wwmmaw:

MR m y l m E. A. HIRNER.

KNITTING MAGHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 1330212, 1908.

1 ,02 3 ,3 1 2. Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4,

WITNESSES: INVENTORI inactive, while the cylinder needles knit thewelts, together with means for simultaneously lengthening the stitchesknit by said cylinder needles at this time. I further supply separatemeans for lengthening the stitch for the production of a loose coursefor transfer purposes quite independent of the means for lengthening thestitches during the knitting of the welt upon the cylinder needles. Thisis because special considerations apply to each of these regionsrequiring loose loops and the automatic lengthening of the stitcheswhich will serve for one will not serve for the other. I

In the accompanying drawings, Figure I, is a plan view of the upperportion of a machine embodying my invention. Fig. II, is a frontelevation of the same. Fig. III, is a central vertical section taken onthe line III, III, of Fig. I. Fig. IV, is a horizontal section taken onthe line IV, IV, of Fig. III, showing the web holders and needle groovestogether with means for pivoting said web holders. Fig. V, is afragmentary sectional view of the machine showin the method of formingthe welt. Fig. V is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line VI, VT,in Fig. III, and showing the cam for depressing the web holders. Fig.VII, is asectional view of the fabric.

In said dr,awings,the bed plate 1, which may be mounted upon suitablestandards, is

providcd with an annular groove-2, torn-ling a hearing for an annulus-t. Said annulus is mounted to r otate on the bed plate 1, and is formedwith a depending circular rack 5, on its under side meshing with asuitable driving pinion, not shown. The annulus 4, is maintained inproper relative relation with the bed plate 1, by means of buttons 6,attached to said bed plate.

Mounted upon the annulus 4, is a'cam cylinder 10. which is adapted torotate therewith. t aid cam cylinder 10. is provided on its innerwriphcry with the cams usually employed in machines of thisgenerate-lass for ('oiipcrating with the needles, including a stitch camwhich is vertically adjustable to vary the length of the stitchesproduced.

incdlc cylinder 12, is mounted in stationary relation to-thc bed plate1, and provided with radial grooves l-t, for the needles 1;"), andradial grooves l6,- tior the web holders 17. The grooves 16, are cutdeeper than the needle grooves 14, but extend only for about one-half ofthe length of the needle cylinder. The needles 15, are maintained intheir positions within the needle grooves of the cylinder 12, by anannular flange 22, upon the upper edge of the cam cylinder 10. The webholders 17, are vertical in position, and are each provided on theirinner edge with a notch 19, for the rece ition m" a wire 20, whichextends around the needle cylinder-'12, within the circle formed by theneedles lying in a circumferential groove 21, formed in the needlecylinder. This wire acts as a fulcrum for the'web-holders 17, to rockupon. The web holders are provided with the 'usual web holding notches19, and also with downwardly and inwardly curved noses 23 with blunt orrounded ends, as best seen in Fig. V; These noses work over the upperedge of the needle cylinder, and by reason of the rockin motion of the vupon their fiilcrum, have a downward, as well as an inward motion, andpush the welts as they are formed away from the cylinder needles, inwhich motion they co-h act with the opposing concaved peripheral'surface of the dial plate 35.

The web holders 17, are'operated by an upper cam plate 24, mounted oncam ring 27, and a. lower cam ..5, the can: plate 2%, coming intocontact with the backof the web holders above the point atwhich they arefulcrumed, and the cam 25, at a point below the'falcrum. These parts arebest shown in Figs. I, V, and VI. The parts i above the fulcrum act tohold the upper ends of the web holders, in their inner position, exceptWhere a recession ort-he cam surface 24, permits them to be rockedbackwardiy under the influence of the lower'eam 25, which is pivotallymounted from the linden side of the ring .27, and is maintained yieldingly in the path of the tower ends of the web holders, by theengagement of its later ally extending arm 28, with a spring plate 29,attached to the cam cylinder -10. "This lower cam 25, is adapted to tiltthe upper end of each web holder outwardly as the adjacent cylinderneedles are drawn down to form a stitclnv In order to permit the readyremoval or insertion of either the web holders or the needles, withoutdismantling the machine, I provide the cam ring 27, with a detachablesegment or gate 90, which is located directly above a notch 91, withinthe inwardly projecting' annular flange 22, formed on the innerperiphery of the cam cylinder 10. The said gate 90, of the cam ring 27,is pivoted about the screw 92, and is normally retained in position bythe'serewfiti, whose Shani; is received within a slot '95, in theswinging end ofthe said gate 90. By swinging back the said gate 90, anybroken needle or web holders may be readily withdrai'vn and'new onesinserted in their stead by simply ad'- iwie its

vancing the notch 91, to correspond with the .Mounted upon the camcylinder 16, are" two standards 30, audB'l, suppnrting'a yoke 32, fromwhich is suspended, a. dial cam plate 34, arranged to rotate with saidcam cylinder it), and a dial neediep'lnte 35., ar

3O larging the'loops produced by the cylinder from needles. After apredetermined inteiwai of time, the roller cam 50, is again raised tothe level of and to engage cam arm 145, on shaft 43, whereupon themachine is again thrown into its original position to produce tubularribbed knitting. After knitting about, a dozen avel courses, the cam 50,is raised to the level of cam arm 75, to engage itto depress thecylinderstiteh -am, as hereinbet'ore explained, for knitting a course ofloose knitting, for marking the line upon which the fabric is to be outor transferred. After this the roller cam 5. is again raised to thelevel of the arm i l, to engage it, whereupon the parts just me tionedagain resume their initial per ion for, the continuation of ribbedknitting. These operations are successively and automati'cally repeated,as by any Well known pattern chain or pattern wheel mechanism and resultin the production of ribbed string-work, with horizontal Welt tubesoccurring at regular intervals, determined by the adjustment of thepattern mechanism which controls the motion oi the roller cam 50.

It will be remembered that there are only half as many stitches in thewelt, as there are in the ribbed tube, hence the reason for depressingthe cylinder stitch cam, for enneedles during the knitting of the welt.This results in giving the Welt band the same elasticity as is possessedby the ribbed portion of'the tube, and also-prevents any crowding of thetube at the region of the welt which would otherwise occur.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In a rib knitter, aneedle cylinder provided with grooves for the web holders; a fulcrtm ingprojection Within each groove; a series of web holders with notchesengaging, said projections and fulcrumed thereon; and coordinate camsurfaces acting continuously upon the backs of the Web holders one aboveand the other below the fulcrum by the combined act-ion of which the webholders are held 5 1 V inter evided with grooves the web holder-g; atuicruming surface within said groove; :1 series of web holdersi'ulerumed thereon; coordinate earn sur'aces aeting upon the backs ofthe web holders, one above and the other below the fulcrum, by thecombined act-ion of which the web holders are positively operated as oithe tirst (rt-ass; and an opening in the upper eam in protected by apivoted gate aiiord' H ity for the removal of any wet,- holder i'roiuits 3. in a. rib knittn' nai /hint, the e nation of a dial plate hamdraw emu and 1110:2118 for re cam to render the cliai llQQClitiH inaetning the formation of the welt e durthe cylinder needles; a cam cylinderprovided with a stitch earn and, mitornatieally operated means foroperating the stitch cam to produce loose transfer courses upon thecylinder needles; and independent automatically operated means foroperating the stitch cam to produce loose Welt courses.

4. In a rib knit machine, the combination of a cam o inder provided witha stitch cann and antennatiealiy onerated means for operating the titehcam to pro duee i n'ansfer courts; a separate and distir ztoinatieallyoperated means for operatn said can: to produce loose weltamuse.

Witnesses:

JAMES H. BELL,- E. L.'FULLERTOI-I.

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